Jaewon stopped fighting and dutifully opened his mouth. Feeling relieved, she gave him some more water. When he was done, she patted his cheek lightly and whispered, "Good job, now you can sleep."
With a faint sigh, he settled down in his pallet, only to rear up retching again.
Disheartened and scared, Kira could do nothing but watch as he threw up the pitiful amount of water he had ingested. She knew he had to get off the ship, but what could she do?
The ship pitched and rolled. It felt like it would be bludgeoned to pieces by the waves or capsized.
Nearby, Brother Woojin was chanting in prayer and several soldiers huddled together in fear.
Kwan came over to their side, and shook his head at her. "You shouldn't be down here! This isn't a good place for either of you."
Jindo was whining, his big head buried into Taejo's side.
"To be honest, I was getting a bad feeling being in our cabin," she said.
"What do you mean?"
Before she could answer, the hatch door crashed open and a large group of crew members came running down the stairs.
"There she is! There's the evil one!"
Kira exchanged a look with her brother just as he jumped to his feet, his sword drawn. Major Pak stepped in front of him, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.
"What is the meaning of this?" Major Pak asked in a furious voice.
"This thunderstorm is unnatural! We have angered the gods by having that creature on our ship!"
"It's because of her that our ship is going to be destroyed!" A crew member pointed at Kira. "Throw the Demon Slayer overboard before we all die!"
The crewmen came forward, only to be met by the steel of Kwan, Major Pak, and those of their soldiers who were not seasick.
"If you even think of touching my sister, you will die a slow and agonizing death," Kwan said fiercely. "Now get the hell out of here before I kill you anyway!"
The crewmen were forced to leave at the point of Kwan's sword.
Kira got up abruptly and faced Brother Woojin.
"Sunim, I know we agreed to keep the tidal stone secret for fear of the Demon Lord finding us. But this storm is his doing," she said. "I think he already knows where we are. And I don't think we have a choice anymore."
Not waiting to hear his response, she followed Kwan up onto the main deck, Major Pak and several of their soldiers keeping close guard.
The upper deck was a nightmarish scene. The captain was yelling at his crew to return to their stations as waves washed across the ship. Even as Kira tried to balance herself on deck, a wave swept one of their soldiers off the ship and into the sea.
Horrified, Kira proceeded to the bow as fast as she could, holding on tight to the rigging and the rails. A crewman came charging at her, intent on pushing her overboard. She twisted her hands into the netting hanging above her head and kicked the man hard in the chest with both her feet. He went sliding across the deck, and narrowly escaped going overboard. Several others tried to attack her and were met by Kwan's sword. Ignoring the crew, she climbed up onto the bow.
"What are you doing?" Captain Lee shouted. "Get back inside! I don't need to be worrying about you on top of everything else!"
Kira pushed past him and stood at the prow. The large red ruby glowed warm and vibrant in her hands, throwing a bright light in the dark of the storm.
"What is she doing?" she heard the captain behind her.
"Leave her alone," Kwan said. "She's going to save us."
Kira's connection with the tidal stone was immediate and strong. She held the stone before her and the water calmed in front of them. The captain swore in shock as the hurricane continued to rage just beyond the ship. It was as if they were in a tunnel, protected from the elements.
Why fight me? What is the use? Your efforts are pitiful. Soon you will be mine.
Kira shook her head hard, trying to rid the Demon Lord's voice from her head.
Don't fight me.
The tunnel began to collapse as a wave washed over the ship. The men screamed as Kira struggled against the mocking voice of the Demon Lord.
"No! I will never let you win!" Kira yelled into the storm. She let her mind meld with the tidal stone. Instantly the evil voice was quieted as the tidal stone took over and filled her with calm. The ship straightened and the waves receded, leaving them safe in their tunnel again. Kira thought of only the tidal stone and let it work to bring them to safety. The winds blew them quickly through the seas, at speeds exceeding eight knots, but still the storm raged all around them. It was well over an hour before the ship found itself safe from the storm.
Kira staggered, exhausted by her struggle against the Demon Lord. Jumping forward, Captain Lee steadied her, helping her down from the bow of the ship. "Young mistress, I do not know what magic you wield," he said. "But I do know that you have saved us all."
Kwan met his sister with an anxious look. Noting her weariness, he wrapped his arm around her waist and helped her across the deck. The entire crew cheered, yelling "Demon Slayer" over and over again.
Kira kept her eyes closed, letting her brother steer her past the others. Worry gnawed at her. She'd been right. The storm had been supernatural. Even wielding the tidal stone, it had been difficult to ward off the tumultuous winds and waves. She knew the Demon Lord was behind the storm, which meant he knew where they were going.
Kira was truly frightened, for she knew this was just a taste of what was to come. Their journey was only going to get much worse.
12
They sailed into Uju City on the last day of the second month. The storm had sent them way off course and what should have been at most a five-day trip took them over a week. By the time they reached port, Kira felt normal again. The use of the tidal stone in such a major way had drained her so greatly that it took two nights with her tiger spirit to be completely healed.
Uju was a large port city that had developed around the mouth of the Yalu River, which divided the city in half. They entered port on the south side, at the captain's insistence. The north side was dangerous, overrun with bandits and mercenaries. The captain was unwilling to risk the ship and crew.
When they reached shore, Jaewon was desperate to get off the ship. He was too weak to walk on his own, so Seung and Kwan helped carry him off the ship and onto shore.
Dropping to his knees on the sand, Jaewon sighed in relief. "May I never take another boat ride for a thousand years!"
As Kira prepared to disembark, she was surprised to find the sailors lining up on the main deck, waiting to present her with tokens of appreciation: a parcel of nuts, a handful of sweet dried dates, a carved wooden statue of a dragon, a satchel made from what looked like sailcloth. They were all small but thoughtfully given. Kira was overwhelmed and moved by their gifts.
The last person to see her off was the captain.
"We are truly fortunate to have had the great Demon Slayer on our vessel," he said. "It will be a story to tell our grandchildren."
Kira looked at the satchel that was now full of their gifts, not knowing what to say.
"There have been so many stories told about you. Some say you are a kumiho who seduces men or a soul-sucking demon. Others claim you slew an imoogi that would have destroyed Hansong. That you are our savior, the Musado.
"But I see a young girl with extraordinary talents who would do anything to protect our future king. I see a strong young girl who will grow into a formidable woman and I am grateful that the prince has such a powerful protector."
The captain pressed into her hand a beautiful red ribbon with a decorative gold design.
She gaped at the gift. Unmarried girls wore these ribbons tied to their braids to signify their status. But Kira had never worn one. Had never wanted to wear one. She didn't quite know what to say.
"Although you are a Demon Slayer, you are still a girl," he said with a smile. "Wear it when you want to remember that fact."
It was lovely and part of her wanted to tie it into her hair, while the other part scoffed at such a silly impulse. A ribbon? For a soldier? She had to smile at the thought. Even though, she'd probably never wear it, she would treasure it.
"Thank you, Captain," she said. "I will not forget."
Uju City was home to an interesting blend of Guru and other nationalities. As Kira and her group departed from the harbor, they found themselves in the midst of an open marketplace. Many of the trade stores were run by the Cathay. There were tea stands, silk merchants, and even a jewelry shop that displayed the huge ivory tusks of some poor elephant. In a side alley, tribal folk displayed their wares of baskets, pottery, blankets, and rugs. The mix of various languages filled the air and made for a unique experience.
Taejo walked close by her side as they passed food stalls selling a variety of items from the mundane to the exotic. A street vendor hawking hot fish cakes on skewers was located right next to another who sold fried scorpions, centipedes, and seahorses. Taejo paused in front of at a food stall that held baskets of roasted grasshoppers.